PEB Board begins 2024 meeting season
On February 1, the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEB Board) met for the first time in 2024. Members attended in person at the Health Care Authority (HCA) building in Olympia and remotely. The meeting was open to the public both in person and via Zoom.
Meeting recap
Highlights are listed below. See the briefing book for all presentation materials.
Heather Schultz, MD, HCA associate medical director, led a panel discussion focused on equity in health care access and outcomes. The panelists included Nicole St. Clair, MD, Regence; Geoffrey Ankeney, MD, Kaiser Permanente of Washington; and Quyen Huynh, DNP, HCA.
HCA staff presented on the following:
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion data collection efforts
- Behavioral health network adequacy
- Fall 2023 open enrollment summary, including enrollment numbers, in-person and online benefits fairs attendance, and customer service results
- Procurement and benefit planning cycles
- Retail pharmacy trends
- Pharmacy provisions within the Inflation Reduction Act
- PEBB Medicare benefits legislative report and possible 2025 UMP Classic Medicare Part D plan option. The Board will further discuss the option to transition pharmacy benefits in UMP Classic Medicare to Part D coverage in upcoming meetings.
- Benefits 24/7 online enrollment system launch
- Contracting for administration of UMP
- Governor’s budget and 2024 legislative session
- Preview and discussion of issues the Board will consider this year
Next meeting
The next public meeting of the PEB Board is scheduled for March 21, 2024, starting at 9 a.m. Board members and the public may attend in person (masks are optional) or virtually via Zoom. A link or call-in number for virtual attendance will be noted on the meeting agenda and posted on the PEB Board Meetings and materials webpage.